Name: ____________________________________ Class: ____________

Do Now: Take a look at the two political cartoons and share your thoughts on them in the
writing space below.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The Second Amendment: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free
State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Group Work

Read the details regarding the new bill being introduced in Congress. This bill was written
in response to the general public’s demands for gun reform.

“The Bill prohibits the transfer to, production by, importation

of, and sale of all guns that hold more than one bullet to those
under the age of 35.”
Example Position: Hunter

I hunt as a hobby and I believe that this gun bill would not be fair to those who hunt. This bill
would prevent me from practicing my hobby and sharing it with my family or children. They
would not be allowed to carry until they were well into their adulthood and the same would go
for me because I am currently under 35 years of age. Additionally, semi-automatic guns allow
hunters to take down an animal much quicker. If a hunter fires as the animal moves and it is only
injured, the animal may suffer a longer, painful death. With multiple rounds, the hunter can be
sure the animal is taken down with the least amount of suffering to the animal as possible.

Your Turn!

Read the following blurbs and choose the one that relates to your role:

1. Mental Health Professional: “I believe it is possible to make modest gun-safety reforms

without infringing on Second Amendment rights. We must do our best to make sure that
these weapons do not fall into the hands of those who are a danger to others or
themselves.”
2. Police Officer: “When I was an NYPD police officer in the 90s I asked a recently
arrested twenty-something man, while I was working in the cells, how he felt about gun
laws. He laughed and said “we love them because we know you won’t have a gun.”
3. Student: “I’m still trying to figure out why my school doesn’t have metal detectors. What
happened to so many other students can happen here, too.”
 4. Small Business Owner: “Of course a convenience store, liquor store, restaurant or other
small business is a ‘public place.’ But my small business is a common target for crimes
like robbery and burglary. As a result, I would like to keep loaded firearms at my
business to protect my merchandise, my employees and myself.”
5. Parent Who Lost Their Child to Gun Violence: “How is it that easy to buy this type of
weapon? How do we not stop this after so many school shootings? I’m sitting with
another mother who lost her son. It’s still happening.”

Use the blurb of your choice as a small reference for your claim/statement in response to
the proposed bill. Use the lines below to write 5-7 sentences.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
 Exit Ticket
Now that you’ve explained your position and considered your role, use the information you
know about it to write 2-3 sentences in response to the quote below:

“Assault weapons were made for one purpose. They are designed to kill as many people as
possible in a short amount of time. They do not belong in our communities.”

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________